Benchmarking
In the prison context refers to identifying the most efficient ways of working and then applying them across the prison estate, with separate benchmarks for each type of prison and prisoner.

Bifurcation In relation to youth justice denotes a two-pronged policy whereby the majority of offenders are diverted from prosecution and the minority are prosecuted and punished.

New ManagerialismUsing strategies and techniques from the private sector in the management of punishment in the public sector, focusing on the most efficient use of resources, for example, using Key Performance Targets, Key Performance Indicators, and league tables.

New Penology An approach which is concerned with risk management, using actuarial data to predict and manage risk, and which focuses on categories of offenders rather than individuals.

Normalisation In the context of imprisonment, using the same standards in prison which are applied to the lives of offenders in the community as far as possible, within the constraints required by imprisonment, so that prisoners are able to lead as normal lives as possible apart from their loss of liberty.

OASys
The system used by probation and prison services for assessing the risks and needs of an
offender.

Ordinal proportionalityAn amount of punishment which is proportionate to culpability in terms of parity between offenders committing offences of similar gravity, and such that the relative severity of punishment reflects the seriousness-ranking of offences.

Out-sourcingThe management technique of tendering part of an organisation's work or services to an external provider.

Paramountcy principleThe legal principle that the welfare of the child shall be paramount in the making of decisions about the child's upbringing.

Parsimony principleUsing the most economical means of punishment, to impose the least severe punishment necessary to achieve the objective of crime reduction.

Populist punitivenessThe increased punitiveness of governments to attract public support.

PrisonisationThe forms of adaptation of individuals and groups to prison life.

PrivatisationThe transfer of state functions or services to the private sector.

Protective sentencingSentencing with the aim of reducing the likelihood that the offender will cause harm to the public by offending in the future. The form such public protection takes may be incapacitation through imprisonment.

Prudential disincentiveA penalty which is designed to deter an individual from offending.

Utilitarian theories of punishmentThe use of punishment to reduce or prevent crime through deterrence, incapacitation, and rehabilitation.

UtilitarianismA philosophical approach which sees individuals as motivated by the pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain and uses this to devise policies which maximise the greatest happiness of the greatest number.

Welfare principles The principles which inform or direct decision- making by the courts or public
bodies in relation to the up bringing of children and young people under 18 years of age. The
paramountcy principle is one such principle.